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Biden Holds Press Conference after NATO Summit; 17 House Democrat Call on Biden to Step Aside; NATO Pledges Support for Ukraine's Long-Term Security; Kenyan President Fires Most of Cabinet after Protests; Study: 44% of U.S. Adult Cancer Deaths May be Preventable. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired July 12, 2024 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hi from CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

[00:00:33]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe I'm the best qualified to govern, and I think I'm the best qualified to win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The question now, are Democrats and voters buying what U.S. President Joe Biden was selling in his crucial solo press conference?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin. President Putin. He's going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: That slip-up before the presser sparked new questions about the president and further overshadowed the NATO summit's focus on the war in Ukraine.

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REAR ADM. DANIEL HAGARI, ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): The IDF failed in its mission to protect the residents of kibbutz Be'eri.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Israel releases the findings from an inquiry into the military's response during the October 7th Hamas massacre.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber. BRUNHUBER: We begin with U.S. President Joe Biden answering questions

for nearly an hour as he tries to overcome concerns about his cognitive health and political future.

Biden spoke with reporters at the end of the NATO summit in Washington. He went into great detail about his economic successes and foreign policy record, including Ukraine and Israel, and he insisted he's the most qualified person to run for president and to beat Donald Trump.

But it's unlikely his performance will quiet the growing chorus of Democrats calling for him to step aside.

Now, Biden made a major gaffe earlier in the day, introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as President Putin. And then there was this moment at the start of the press conference, where he misidentified his own vice president. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I think we can win. Look I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump [SIC] to be vice president if I think she's not qualified to be president, so let's start there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The president recovered and explained why he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris is qualified to step in as president, if necessary. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: First of all, the way she's handled the issue of freedom of women's bodies to have control of their bodies.

Secondly, her ability to handle almost any issue on the board. This was a hell of a prosecutor. She was a first-rate person. And in the Senate, she was really good.

I wouldn't have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be president from the very beginning. I made no bones about that. She is qualified to be president. That's why I picked her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Later in the press conference, reporters asked about his mental acuity and stamina to serve as president for four more years. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I've taken three significant and intense neurological exams by a neuro -- a neurologist. In each case, as recently as February, and they say I'm in good shape.

The only thing age does is help you with -- it creates a little bit of wisdom, if you pay attention. And so, the point I'm making is I think it's important that I -- if -- if my -- if a neurologist tells me he thinks I need another exam -- by the way, I've -- I've laid every bit of the record out.

Every single day, I'm surrounded by good docs. If they think there's a problem, I promise you -- or even if they don't think it's a problem, they think I should have a neurologic exam again, I'll do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Congressman Eric Sorenson of Illinois is now the 17th House Democrat urging the president to withdraw his reelection bid.

Many in the party are worried about losing their own races with Biden at the top of the ticket.

CNN's Manu Raju reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The number of congressional Democrats who are calling on Joe Biden to step aside in this presidential race is only growing.

In fact, in the aftermath of Joe Biden's high-profile Thursday night news conference, Jim Himes, a top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, just moments after that press conference ended, put out a statement saying it is time for Joe Biden to protect his legacy and step aside for the good of the country, because he said the country needs to stop what Himes calls MAGA authoritarianism from taking hold.

There is a view among many Democrats, including many who have yet to come out publicly. The question is, will they come out publicly? The expectation that some of them will. It could be a slow trickle over the next several days, designed to put pressure on Joe Biden and try to urge him to step aside from this race.

[00:05:12]

Although when he made clear in his press conference, he has no intention of doing so. And he plans to remain a candidate, tried to prove to his colleagues that he can do this job and hit the battleground states next week and the like. And suggested that it could take some time.

Well, if he changes his mind down the road, it's only going to get harder to replace him. And he suggested that that would not happen.

So, what will happen now, that is going to be the big question for Democratic leaders. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader, huddled behind closed doors with his colleagues to the course of the earlier in the week.

And then in a press conference on Thursday, he said that he would have continued discussions, private discussions with his 213 colleagues about the best way forward. REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Democrats are engaged in conversations with House Democrats. At this moment in time, those conversations have been candid, clear-eyed, and comprehensive.

RAJU: Even though Joe Biden has made clear that he is still running, Democrats still believe that he might change his mind, which is only going to intensify this discussion about finding a replacement at this key juncture of this campaign,, which Democrats fear is slipping away from Biden in the aftermath of the disastrous debate performance that he had about two weeks ago.

So, all this now coming to a head, even though Joe Biden is saying critics can call me to step aside, but I am still moving ahead.

But what will the Democratic leaders do? What will Hakeem Jeffries do, Chuck Schumer do, and Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker?

So far, they've indicated they support Biden, but does that mean that they want him to run, or will they come out publicly and change their approach to all of this?

All huge questions of this consequential time in American history.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Ron Brownstein is CNN senior political analyst and the senior editor for "The Atlantic." And he joins me now from Los Angeles.

Good to see you again, Ron. So, everything that Biden does these days seems to be preceded by the adjective "high-stakes." Last week's high- stakes interview. Now this, you know, high-stakes press conference. He is under the microscope.

So how do you think he did and what does that ever-present microscope itself say about where things are right now?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, that's a really good way to phrase it.

Look, I thought he did very well tonight. You know, it was a -- it was a Joe Biden performance in that he mangled a few things, as he has done for literally decades. But he displayed a lot more energy and coherence and, certainly, a mastery of the detail of foreign policy that Donald Trump could not match for an hour.

The problem is, as you know, against the backdrop of that debate, the kind of verbal flubs that have been common for Biden literally for decades. I covered his 1988 presidential campaign. Those kind of flubs now look different, you know, to -- certainly to analysts and people watching like us, but potentially also to voters.

I think the bigger problem is it's really not clear to me that subsequent good days can erase the impression that was left by what he calls a bad night.

I mean, once voters know that card is in the deck and that level of difficulty of expressing yourself and focusing can come out, you know, I'm not sure it matters to voters whether it's once a week or once every two weeks, or once every three weeks. The fact that it's there at all is going to be a concern to a lot of Americans.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, the historical context of Biden's flubs seems completely washed away, as you said.

One Democrat directly involved in the president's reelection efforts told CNN last night that Biden has no path to victory. I quote here: "We are doomed if he runs." I mean, with friends like that, right?

So Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said, quote, "I still need more data and more analytics that show a path to success about Biden as president."

Now the president himself in the press conference shrugged off the polls, basically saying the campaign won't really start in earnest until after Labor Day.

So, what do you see there in the data? Is there a path?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. No, well, look, you never say never. I mean, Donald Trump recovered from the "Access Hollywood" letter [SIC] in 2016, obviously, with another big intervening event from James Comey.

But the reason this debate existed at all was because the Biden campaign and Democrats realized that he was trailing, and he was not on a trajectory to win.

You know, if you compare where he is now to where he was in 2020, going into the debate, his biggest problem was that he was underperforming with younger non-white voters, black and Hispanic voters, especially men.

And as a result of that, the Sun Belt states, where those voters are critical to the Democratic coalition, look to be almost out of reach for him: North Carolina and Georgia in the Southeast, Nevada in the Southwest. Maybe Arizona's a little better, but not much in the Southwest.

[00:10:09]

And that meant that, in order to get to 270, he had to sweep Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, three states in what I once called the Blue Wall. He's trailing in all three of three at this point, you know.

And so, it is a very difficult path and especially if you consider, as I said, his biggest problem is younger, non-white voters. The debate solidified, cemented one of his biggest problems with it.

In that "New York Times"/Sienna poll, 85 percent of people under 45 said that he's too old to do the job of president effectively. And when you kind of add all this up, I think there are many --

there's a growing sense among Democratic professionals, certainly, but also elected officials, that despite all of the challenges Kamala Harris would face, at least she offers an opportunity to kind of reset the chessboard and give you, at least, a different set of contrasts with Donald Trump.

BRUNHUBER: Right. And looking beyond the data, maybe just as damaging in a different way have been the words of his celebrity, erstwhile allies like George Clooney, who have talked about their personal experience of Biden, what they see. And he said he's diminished, and he should step aside.

Obviously, he -- you know, Michael Douglas also came out and said the same thing. It's -- it's not exactly as though one could say if Biden has lost Hollywood, he's lost Democrats. But what do they represent in terms of visibility and maybe, more importantly, fundraising?

BROWNSTEIN: So, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I wrote a book called "The Power and the Glitter," which was the history of the relationship between Hollywood and politics from the 1920s to the present.

And, you know, there are a lot of -- there have always been politicians who kind of resent celebrities meddling in politics, but I'll tell you one thing that a celebrity gives -- provides is the opportunity to say things in public that politicians often will only say in private.

We haven't exactly seen a profile in courage from the Democratic congressional leadership on this. They've been very cautious. And George Clooney said what a lot of Democrats are saying.

It reminded me a little bit of 1968 when the only major surrogate that Gene McCarthy could get when he was challenging Lyndon Johnson, even though many Democrats felt that Johnson, through the war in Vietnam, was kind of rendering himself unelectable, was Paul Lynn. Paul Lynn was the only one to go to New Hampshire and say publicly, because he was kind of like, you know, he was immune. I mean, he was a -- he was a rich celebrity. He didn't need the usual political rewards.

And I think Clooney actually fits a little bit, to me, in that lineage where, you know, he is not the only person who has thought this.

And what was so significant about what he said was that he didn't only say that he didn't think Biden can win. He said that the Biden he saw was like what they saw at the debate.

And you know, as we saw tonight, that's not going to be Joe Biden every day, but you know, if voters know that that is a possibility on "X" percent of days, can you erase that concern by having a good day in public? I'm not sure you can.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that is the question.

We'll have to leave it there. I always appreciate having you on. Ron Brownstein in Los Angeles. Thanks so much.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: So, despite all those concerns about his political future, Biden got down to business on the final day of the NATO summit. And he launched a joint effort by the alliance to support Ukraine's long-term security.

Alex Marquardt has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The three-day NATO summit here in Washington culminated with NATO countries further emphasizing their support for Ukraine's security by announcing what's being called a Ukraine compact.

This comes on the heels of previous announcements of more air defenses for Ukraine, F-16s, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken said would be in the skies over Ukraine later this summer. And a new American aid package of more than $200 million.

But much of this critical and really historic summit was overshadowed by questions over President Biden's political fate and questions over his lucidity following that debate two weeks ago in which he had a disastrous performance.

Those questions were really accentuated after a flub by President Biden, which he accidentally called President Zelenskyy of Ukraine by the Russian president's name. Take a listen.

BIDEN: Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin. President Putin? He's going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy. I'm so focused on beating Putin. We've got to worry about it. Anyway Mr. President.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: I'm better.

BIDEN: You are a hell of a lot better.

MARQUARDT: Earlier in the day. President Zelenskyy and Biden met one- on-one on the sidelines of the NATO summit. And President Zelenskyy said that, after thanking the U.S. for their support, he would be pressing President Biden on lifting restrictions that the U.S. has put on Ukraine for how they use American weapons inside of Russia. Here's what he said.

[00:15:12]

ZELENSKYY: And I also want to discuss with the president how we can quickly and decisively stop Russian terror with this big problem for us is guided bombs. And of course, we need some quick steps, some to lift all limitations for our Ukrainian soldiers.

MARQUARDT: President Joe Biden's political future weighs heavily on this alliance because of what may happen if President Trump is elected in November.

President Trump, of course, has shown real disdain for the NATO alliance and said that he would allow Russia to, quote, "do whatever the hell they want" to NATO countries who, in his opinion, aren't paying enough in defense spending.

As President Zelenskyy bluntly put it at the outset of this summit, everybody is waiting for November.

Alex Marquardt, CNN, at the NATO summit in Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Negotiators made progress on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal during talks in Qatar. Sources familiar with the meeting say there are still tough issues to resolve.

Israel says it's sending a delegation to Cairo to continue negotiations.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony for new military officers, Prime Minister Netanyahu had this to say about the latest talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): I am committed to the plan to free our hostages, but the Hamas assassins continue to adhere to demands that contradict the plan and endanger Israel's security. As prime minister of Israel and out of a sense of national responsibility, I am not prepared to accept these demands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Israel carried out airstrikes in Northern Gaza a day after ground forces wrapped up a two-week operation in Shujaya.

Emergency teams had so far recovered 60 bodies, but officials fear dozens more could still be under the rubble.

Gaza civil defense estimates more than 120,000 people have been displaced in Shujaya, with 85 percent of buildings destroyed since October 7.

Tens of thousands have fled nearby Gaza City since Sunday, following the IDF's evacuation orders.

The Israeli military has acknowledged it failed to protect civilians in a Southern Israel kibbutz during the October 7th Hamas attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAGARI (through translator): The IDF failed in its mission to protect the residents of Kibbutz Be'eri. It is painful and difficult for me to say this.

The IDF was supposed to protect the residents of Kibbutz Be'eri. But unfortunately, we were not there for long hours of fighting. For hours, the residents of Be'eri defended their families with their bodies while they were alone against the terrorists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The IDF inquiry found the military struggled to assess and respond to the Hamas siege on the kibbutz, with forces spread thin that day.

The head of the Israeli army said this led to troops waiting outside the gates while, quote, "the massacre continued inside." He said this cannot be allowed to happen again. And Kibbutz Be'eri was one of the hardest hit.

Hamas militants killed 101 of its residents, including children, and abducted 30 people.

A spokesperson for the kibbutz said the finding helped members understand the events of that day, but some important questions remain unanswered.

Andrey Kozlov was nearing the end of his shift as a security guard at the Nova Music Festival when Hamas fighters attacked. The Russian- Israeli citizen was soon captured and taken to Gaza as a hostage.

In an interview with CNN, Kozlov details his months of captivity: the psychological torture he endured, the threats he faced, and finally, after his rescue, the emotional reunion with his mother.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: We all saw the video of when you were reunited with your mother at the hospital. As a mother, it brought tears to my eyes to see how you fell down on your knees, hugging her.

Do you know how -- how difficult -- I would imagine you do -- those eight months were for them.

ANDREY KOZLOV, FREED HOSTAGE: I was so afraid not to see them.

GOLODRYGA: You thought you'd never see them again?

KOZLOV: I was afraid. I mentioned how -- that my mother and father and brother, they will not hear the words "I love you" anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:20:02]

BRUNHUBER: And you can see the full interview with rescued hostage Andrey Kozlov Friday on "AMANPOUR" at 1 p.m. Eastern. That's 6 p.m. in London, 8 p.m. in Tel Aviv.

A nation in shock and a community in mourning. British police still haven't been able to talk to the man they say murdered the family of a BBC sports commentator with a crossbow. Details next on CNN.

Plus, Kenya's president has taken dramatic steps to calm anti- government protests that turned deadly. We'll have details after the break. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: British police are searching for a man they believe may have dropped two suitcases containing human remains off a bridge in the Southwestern city of Bristol.

Avon and Somerset police say they got a call close to midnight on Thursday about a man acting suspiciously on the Clifton suspension bridge.

Officers responded and found the two suitcases, but there was no sign of the man, who they describe as a black man with a beard dressed all in black with an Adidas baseball cap and a black backpack.

Police say they're not aware of any current risk to the wider public.

U.K. authorities say the man suspected of killing the wife and daughters of a BBC sport commentator with a crossbow is in serious condition in a London hospital and has yet to speak with police.

Kyle Clifford was found by British police Wednesday after an overnight manhunt. Police also say a crossbow has been recovered.

The victims were the wife and two adult daughters of BBC horse racing commentator John Hunt. Police responded to the Hunts' home in the town of Bushey Tuesday night and found the women with serious injuries.

All three died a short time later at the scene.

A vigil was held Thursday for the Hunt family, where the community came together to mourn and remember the victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For it is with John and his family and his friends that we saw pain. We bear the heavy cross of grief at this time, in trying to understand why such a cruel and inhuman thing should take place in our community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Police are still waiting to talk to Clifford but say they believe he is known to the Hunt family.

Kenya's president, William Ruto, says he's forming a new government after a controversial tax bill sparked weeks of violent protests across the country. He's calling it the most extensive transformation in Kenya's history.

CNN's Larry Madowo has the latest from Nairobi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Many Kenyans consider it a win that President William Ruto has been forced to dissolve his entire cabinet --

MADOWO (voice-over): -- save for two.

But they said that's just the start. There is so much more corruption in his government that he has to deal with, or he himself has to go.

[00:25:04]

When we talked to the people on the streets who have been protesting these past few weeks, they told us that the cost of living is too high, that corruption is out of control in the country. And they also want some justice for the dozens of mostly young people who were killed in protests against President Ruto's government.

But this, today for them is a celebration that they have forced President William Ruto to climb down and listen to their demands.

Here are some of their responses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has not done anything he promised he's going to do during his campaign. There's nothing he's done up to now. So one of the thing that we, as the Gen Z, want Ruto to go home, literally.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President has shown himself to be very crafty for some reason. So, he doesn't have trust to a lot of people in this country. But if this is going to be for the good cause, then we might give him a chance to redeem himself.

MADOWO (voice-over): What the young people of Kenya protesting have accomplished is extraordinary. It has been discussed in the parliaments in Ghana and Tanzania. And there are other African citizens watching as a blueprint to see how they, too, can hold their governments accountable.

But the young people we spoke to on the streets told us they were here to fix this country. They were draining the swamp. And this is just the beginning.

They forced President William Ruto to abandon that controversial unpopular finance bill that would have raised taxes. They forced him to fire his entire cabinet. And they're not stopping there.

MADOWO: They want him to tackle corruption head on, the high cost of living, and make sure that the government is truly responsive to the people.

And President Ruto, on his part, has promised to be responsive to these people. He's promising even more radical changes in his administration.

And these young people will be holding him accountable throughout that time. Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: A Florida woman accused of bringing ammunition into Turks and Caicos received a suspended sentence on Thursday.

Sharitta Grier is the fifth American arrested in recent months for illegally bringing ammunition into the island nation. All five Americans said the ammunition in their luggage was packed unintentionally.

Grier's attorney said she received a suspended 23-week sentence and a $1,500 fine. She was expected to pay the fine and fly back to the U.S.

The "Rust" film armorer who was convicted in the death of a cinematographer says she won't cooperate when called to testify Friday in Alec Baldwin's trial.

A lawyer for Hannah Gutierrez Reed says she will rely on the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions. She was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year in the death of Halyna Hutchins.

Witness testimony in Baldwin's trial has mainly centered on gun safety and the early investigation of the scene.

Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and maintains he didn't pull the trigger. If convicted, he faces up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

All right. Still ahead, U.S. President Biden faces reporters as even more Democrats call for him to withdraw from the presidential race. A look at how he fared in the spotlight. That's coming up next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:30:27]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

U.S. President Joe Biden has wrapped up the NATO summit in Washington with a forceful defense of his ability to serve another term in Washington.

Biden answered questions from reporters for nearly an hour, covering his economic record, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and dealing with China and Russia.

Now, at one point, the president mistakenly called Kamala Harris "Vice President Trump."

One reporter asked, what's changed since 2020 when Biden referred to himself as a bridge candidate to a new generation of Democrats. Here was his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: What changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited in terms of the economy, our foreign policy, and domestic division.

And I think -- I won't put words in anybody's mouth. Most presidential historians give me credit for having accomplished more than most any president since Johnson and maybe before that to get major pieces of legislation passed.

And what I realized was my long time in the Senate had equipped me to have the wisdom and know how to deal with the Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, here's CNN's Jeff Zeleny on how Democrats are reacting to Biden's closing remarks at the NATO summit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was the moment that everyone in Washington was waiting for: President Biden's high-stakes news conference on Thursday night. The question: did it change any minds --

ZELENY (voice-over): -- among anxious Democrats, nervous about his decision to run for reelection.

Talking to Democrats after the president's news conference, it is unclear that it did.

But one thing was notable. The president spoke with far less defiance and combativeness about his decision to stay in.

He said he needed to work to allay the concerns of Democratic voters. And he even said that he was open to his delegates supporting someone else, should they choose to do that.

But he said again and again, he wants to finish the job. He said he is not worried about his legacy, but he wants to continue working on the accomplishments of his first term.

But did this change any minds? There is reason to believe, at least in the early hours after the news conference, that it may not have.

We're also learning that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama are playing a role behind the scenes in the future of this Democratic presidential campaign.

We have learned that Obama and Pelosi have had conversations this week about where to take the party. Of course, many Democrats are asking them to step in to try and send some type of a signal to the White House. These Democrats, of course, are the ones that would like to see the president step aside.

But the president, for his part, has many supporters, as well. The Congressional Black Caucus, labor unions, and other key pieces of his coalition.

So, as we end this historic week in Washington, the central question remains the same. Will President Biden keep running for the presidency? Now less than four months from election day, he says he will.

But all eyes certainly on the White House today, now that that NATO summit is over.

Nancy Pelosi, of course, said she wishes everyone would wait until that time. Well, now that time is here. The question is, what will President Biden do?

ZELENY: Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right.

When we come back, a new study shows the massive role lifestyle and behaviors have in our chances of getting or avoiding cancer. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:36:10]

BRUNHUBER: A new study from the American Cancer Society finds that nearly half of adult cancer deaths in the U.S. couldn't be prevented.

Now, a study shows about 40 percent of new cancer cases and 44 percent of cancer deaths among adults aged 30 and up may be preventable through lifestyle changes.

Now, cigarette smoking was by far the leading risk factor, contributing to nearly one in five cancer cases. Other key risk factors include excess body weight and alcohol consumption.

A study suggests that certain cancers are more preventable than others. Lung cancer had the largest number of cases attributable to modifiable risk factors, followed by breast cancer, melanoma, and colorectal cancer.

And joining me now is Dr. Jorge Rodriguez. He's a board-certified internal medicine specialist and viral researcher.

It's been a while. Good to see you again. So, listen, we often think of cancer as sort of this bolt of lightning, a bad lottery ball. We knew, of course, that there was a strong link between lifestyle and cancer.

But what do you make about these numbers and how much agency we have over this horrible disease?

DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST AND VIRAL RESEARCHER: Well, I was glad to see this study because it does show that we have actually a lot of control over what happens to us.

I have a lot of patients that come in, and they say, well, you know, my father had this, and my mother had that. And I', bound to get it. And that's not necessarily the truth.

So, what it showed is that a great percentage of what we can do can affect how we can have less of a risk for cancers. Things that are completely within our control: smoking, weight, exercise.

ROBOTIC VOICE: Unknown caller.

RODRIGUEZ: All of that. Yes. I'm sorry.

BRUNHUBER: So, yes, no worries. So listen, smoking. I mean, we know how bad that is for us. I'm going to -- you know, trying to skip that one.

So, I want us to look specifically at what we just mentioned there: body weight, physical activity. What's the link there?

RODRIGUEZ: Well, the link is that we know that certain fat cells, they actually make the body not be able to control certain cancers. Breast cancer is one that is very directly linked to weight. Colon cancer is another one that is very linked to weight.

I mean, not to even mention heart disease, which is a direct connection.

But we know that having a metabolism that is not 100 percent efficient or normal can make the DNA act erratically. So that's -- that's the link.

And now listen, as much as sometimes I have criticized the overuse of medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, we know that weight loss -- and these studies have shown, other studies that losing weight in one manner or another definitely decreases the risk of cancers.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Some of these preventions, they involve, you know, medicines like you've talked about. There are some involved vaccinations: specifically, hepatitis and HPV. But many people either don't know or elect not to -- to take these vaccinations.

And now that vaccines are even more politicized than ever, education, I imagine, is more important than ever, right?

RODRIGUEZ: Absolutely. Where -- where I work, we're starting an HPV vaccination campaign, because there is no reason that any little girl now should grow up to have cervical cancer or any boy to have cancer of the head and neck or the throat, or the anus. The HPV vaccine is something that has been shown unequivocally to decrease the risk of these almost 100 percent deadly cancers.

And I'm glad you brought up the vaccinations for Hepatitis B. If you get Hepatitis B, there's a 30 percent chance that you're never going to get rid of it and you're going to develop cirrhosis and maybe liver cancer. BRUNHUBER: Now, we, as humans, obviously, we prefer easy solutions. You know, don't eat this one magic food and all of your problems will go away. But it's not that simple, right?

[00:40:06]

RODRIGUEZ: Not at all. Not at all. You know, it's all about moderation and having a completely healthy lifestyle. I mean, as much as you can have, right? I mean, maybe not completely.

And, you know, like, some of my patients, they're reluctant to take medications that could actually -- or vaccinations that could save their lives.

Eventually, guess what? If you get sick, you will have no choice, really, but to take multiple numbers of pills and be under a lot of duress with different medical therapies.

So, an ounce of prevention, yes is worth --

BRUNHUBER: Yes.

RODRIGUEZ: -- a pound of cure.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And then we want to make sure that we -- we don't go too far the other way and blame victims to make them and feel as though cancer's entirely their fault.

But another thing that I want to stress that it said in the research here is that sooner is better, obviously. But it's pretty much never too late to start, right?

RODRIGUEZ: Absolutely. It's never too late. So, if you get to be, you know, 40, 50, and you're overweight, do you think, what the heck? I've already gotten here, and the damage is done.

No, the damage is not done, because you never know when that DNA is going to be affected by your lifestyle.

But yes, of course, it's a matter of statistics. You start early; you develop habits; you carry them the rest of your life.

But even at any age, adapting healthy lifestyles and quitting certain things like smoking is always to your advantage.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. A great reminder to myself, as well, there.

Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, thank you so much for speaking to us. I really appreciate it.

RODRIGUEZ: Always a pleasure. Always a pleasure.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Well, tree frogs are green. We all know that. So how do you explain this?

Scientists in Western Australia were surprised when a blue frog sat down on a bench at their wildlife sanctuary. Now, one called it a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

It seems there's an extremely rare genetic mutation that takes away yellow pigment from their skin and turns it bright blue.

Another scientist said, quote, "I've seen tens of thousands of frogs over the years and only seen one blue frog. And it was nowhere near as spectacular as this magnificent tree frog."

Looks, yes, very interesting, I'll say. Listen, we'll leave it on that note.

Thank you so much. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM at the top of the hour. WORLD SPORT is next.

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